MUSE/IQUE: BACK TO OZ

Being that Mr. X and my romantic movie is The Wizard of Oz, (long story for another time,) and after seeing two of Muse/Ique’s previous productions, I felt compelled to see their new show, Back To Oz, at the Mark Taper Forum. (But Mr. X stayed home that night, so I could take my friend Roz because I knew she would love it. And it was actually the first time that she ever told me I was right about something! Thanks, Muse/Ique!)

We both, (along with the entire audience we saw it with, I’m sure,) suggest that everyone mosey on over to downtown LA next weekend to see the show. (It’s your last chance for this one.)

If you’re not familiar with Muse/Ique, it stars a wonderful orchestra headed by Artistic and Music Director, Rachael Worby, who shares the background on each piece we’re about to hear, and on the headline topics, in general. She imparts more musical and historical information in the brief ninety-minute shows than a professor in an entire semester! As we were leaving, Roz declared, “I thought it was a brilliant way to teach an audience the history of the film and the composing of it.”

They do a few shows per year, each one featuring a different category, not just of music genre, but of area of interest. And we whimsy fans are all lucky that this one is music from, or related to in some way, The Wizard of Oz. Yay us!

Part of the fun for me is that this was my third Muse/Ique show, in two different venues, and it was my third different visual view of the proceedings. And each one is interesting. All seats at the semi-intimate Mark Taper Forum, where this run is taking place, are superb. I love that place!

Before I tell you about the actual show, I have to tell you how fun the entire experience is before we even enter the theatre! Right in front, on the Music Center Plaza, there’s a bar with full beverages and snacks, (including sandwiches.) And Muse/Ique always has a local combo playing music outside; this time it was Michal’s Group.  And since it was hot out that day, they even provided lovely white parasols for us to use as we mingled outside. Roz and I loved it all.

As to this show, Back To Oz, the action begins with a rousing rendition of A Brand New Day from The Wiz, performed by the orchestra and a fabulous gospel group, DC6 Singers Collective. I told Roz that I wanted to party with them after the show!

In addition to that group, we’re treated to a trio of guest artists: Carmen Cusack, LaVance Colley, and Nathan Granner. They’re all fabulous singers, but having reviewed Carmen in musicals twice before, I really wanted to hear her again. I’m happy that she’s the one who sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. (When I reviewed Carmen in the musical Bright Star eight years ago, I wrote, “…the number one reason to see it is the star, the luminescent Carmen Cusack. She is the Bright Star! That girl can sa-ang! No wonder she doesn’t have a big booty because she sings her ass off in the show!” And this show proved how right I was back then.)

And you’ve never heard these songs sung with such an excellent operatic voice as Nathan possesses. It must be fun for Nathan as well as the audience because I don’t suppose the much-working tenor gets to perform popular tunes such as these very often.

I loved seeing that when LaVance Colley was singing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the gospel singers who were sitting on the stage were totally feeling it. And when he finished, as the audience jumped to its collective feet, I noticed they were even crying! I think everybody in the Mark Taper Forum that night was verklempt* over that performance. *[“Verklempt” is a Yiddish word meaning overcome with emotion or choked-up, both of which we all were that night!] Roz said that she felt like she was “in on a Broadway hit when the standing ovation happened for him!”

I had been expecting music solely from The Wizard of Oz plus The Wiz, but we got a much more mixed bag than that.  I was surprised by some of the selections, such as the old classic It’s Only a Paper Moon, (two-thirds of whose writing team wrote the songs for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,) and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, though they were appropriate to the topic.

I had wanted to hear more of The Wiz, because shockingly, I’ve never seen it, neither the movie nor the show. (How is that even possible?) But it all worked out because I had totally forgotten that Wicked could be in that group of songs that pertain to the Wizard of Oz. So to hear the two most famous ones, For Good and Defying Gravity, was a total bonus. Carmen’s rendition of Defying Gravity, (which she’s done many times starring as Elphaba in the first National Tour of the show,) actually made me cry. So I suggest waterproof mascara for everyone who sees it next weekend. (Along those lines, I still can’t believe that I got chills from the assemblage singing the goony The Wonderful Wizard of Oz near the beginning of the presentation; it was that magical.)

But Muse/Ique productions are about soooo much more than just playing the famous music. The whole thing is a cornucopia of interesting information. In this case, we learned things such as that L. Frank Baum’s iconic book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was published one hundred twenty-six years ago! And that Ira Gershwin is actually the uncredited composer who added the coda, “If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why can’t I?,” to Somewhere Over the Rainbow!  Who knew? Along with those juicy tidbits, we got to feast our eyes on a beyond-special tuba, (a long story goes with it, but you’ll have to see the show yourselves to learn it,) played by orchestra member P. Blake Cooper.

Me being the visual-oriented person I am, I’m always especially fascinated by Muse/Ique’s slides and video clips that accompany the tales. And the ones for Back To Oz are the best visuals they’ve ever done! I want a copy of all of them. Let me tell you—that took an inordinate amount of research from staff of the organization!

On a similar note, I was thrilled to see that LaVance Colley was rocking the most gorgeous red sparkly shoes, (like Dorothy’s famous ruby slippers,) and Carmen wore a sparkly silver top for the occasion. I, of course, dressed in that vein, as well. I polished my nails emerald green, (in honor of the Emerald City,) and, after about an hour of digging through my vast wardrobe, came up with a green top and tons of green jewelry. I did all that just to amuse myself, actually, but I was happy to see the performers were of a similar mind. I was glad to discover that I was not the only fun one there.

One thing I realize that I admire about Muse/Ique is that when it’s over, it’s over. They finish the final number, and then all the musicians come downstage and they bow ensemble. They just get on with it; no posturing for more applause and an already-planned encore.

Roz speaks for both of us when she says that Ease On Down the Road, (which I add is exactly what we did afterwards,) from The Wiz “was a spirited way to send the audience home, singing along long after the show.”

I heartily encourage everyone to see this show this coming weekend. And then to check-out Muse/Ique’s entire schedule. (I’ve brought three different pals to the trio of Muse/Ique presentations that I’ve seen myself, and all three have declared that they now want to see everything from them from here on out! Roz says, “We’re grateful they have more and different programs all the way to October this season.” So that you get to see them, as well, please click here to check-out their upcoming schedule: www.muse-ique.com.)

Muse/Ique: Back To Oz running through April 26, 2026
Mark Taper Forum 135 N. Grand Ave.
213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org/shows-tickets/taper/2025-26/museique-back-to-oz